Building Vocabulary

Cindy GwinnStaff Development

Fun With Words!

The man who recently fell into an upholstery machine is now fully recovered.

Dictionary Definition for “Vocabulary”

1. A list or collection of words or of words and phrases usually alphabetically arranged and explained or defined

2. a. A sum or stock of words employed by a language, group, individual, or work or in a field of knowledge b. A list or collection of terms or codes available for use (as in an indexing system)

3. A supply of expressive techniques or devices (as of an art form)

http://meriam-webster.com

Are Dictionary Definitions Always

Effective?

Using a Dictionary is Not Enough: Reading a definition does not tell us

how a word is actually used We need examples in context Dictionary definitions can be

incomplete Being able to define a word is an

end result of knowing the word very well

Reinforce Definitions With:

GesturesPicturesObjectsExamples and non-examples

What is vocabulary instruction?

Process that continues throughout life Includes the development of receptive (listening

and reading) and expressive (speaking and writing) vocabularies

Includes both direct and indirect methods of instruction

Research-based components of effective

instruction: High-quality oral language experiences

that develop word consciousness, the knowledge of and interest in words

Explicit instruction of specific words Modeling and instruction in independent

word-learning strategies (ex: CPR & OPIN)

Time and support for wide reading

Texas Reading Initiative (TRI), 2000

What did the triangle say to the circle?

Fun With Words!

You’re so pointless!

Why build vocabulary? The meanings of individual words contribute to

the meanings of sentences and therefore to understanding.

After the age of five, oral conversation is a much less effective way of developing vocabulary knowledge.

As students increase their reading skills, text becomes the vehicle for learning many new words that are not part of their oral vocabulary.

How do our students feel about vocabulary? What is the author saying? Discuss with your neighbor:

“Paula put down her pirn, wrapped herself in a paduasoy, and entered puerperium.”

Story about birthing Pirn – tool for weaving Paduasoy – Japanese style silken robe Puerperium – the time of beginning

labor to birth•We have no access to meaning because we didn’t get the vocabulary!

Five Components of Reading

1. Phonemic Awareness2. Phonics3. Vocabulary4. Comprehension5. Fluency

Back

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Synta

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DECODING COMPREHENSIONWord

Recognition Strategies

FluencyAcademic Language

Comprehension Strategies

MOTIVATIONPhonem

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Phonic

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Auto

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Framework for Reading

Vocabulary

• John Shefelbine/Developmental Studies Center [See p. 20 of the CA Reading/ELA Framework]

Fun With Words!

He didn't tell his mother that he had eaten the glue.

His lips were sealed.

Research about Vocabulary

Kindergarten students’ vocabulary size is a predictor of comprehension in middle school. (Scarborough, 1998)

A single book reading improved significantly children’s expressive vocabulary. (Senechal and Cornell, 1993)

Vocabulary instruction has a strong connection to comprehension. (McKeown, Beck, Omanson and Perfetti, 1983)

Children with weaker vocabularies are less likely to learn new words from incidental exposure than children with larger vocabularies. (Nicholson & Whyte, 1992; Penno et al., 2002; Robbins & Ehri, 1994)

Something to Think About

Words Heard in an HourPoverty: 615 wordsMiddle Class: 1,251 wordsProfessional: 2,153 words

Hart and Risley, 2003

How Do Children Learn Vocabulary?

NRP (National Reading Panel)Recommendations: Teach directly and indirectly Repetitions Rich Context Incidental Learning Computer Technology

http://www.vocabulary.co.il/ Use multiple vocabulary instruction

methodsNPR, 2000

Model for Choosing Vocabulary From Text

“3-Tier Model”

Developed by Isabel Beck

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Low-frequency words;Technical words

Words to Teachhigh frequency, high utility

Known, common words

Words to Teach Directly

Words critical to understanding the text

Words that are likely to be encountered many times

Difficult words that need interpretation metaphorical, abstract, nuanced

Beck & McKeown, 2002

Fun With Words!

I couldn't quite remember how to throw a boomerang, but I knew eventually it would come back to me.

How to Select Vocabulary Words

Pick 3-5 words for direct teachingSelect words that are:

unfamiliar to the studentsbig ideas of the authorwords used to summarize the textwords that “travel well” (Tier Two

words)

Direct Teaching Vocabulary-What Does It

Look Like?

Refer to your folder for a detailed lesson example:

“Example of a Vocabulary Direct Teach”

“Explicit Instruction of Specific Words”

Practicing Vocabulary

Synonym RaceYou have 30 seconds.Think of as many alternative

words as you can for…

look

Practicing Vocabulary

“Articulate”Take a noun card.Describe it to your partner without

naming it. Use descriptive language to help your partner visualize.

Can your partner guess your word?

Repeated Read-Aloud Use literature to maximize children’s

vocabulary growth. Pre-reading discussion focused on key vocabulary

and concepts that may be unfamiliar During first reading allow children to follow the

story thread without frequent interruptions. During repeated reading sessions, stop to discuss

vocabulary and concepts Read each story at least 3 times

Provide repeated exposures to new words in the classroom in different contexts

Fun With Words!

Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.'

Practicing Vocabulary

Refer to your folder for more vocabulary practice ideas:

Vocabulary “War” Card GameVocabulary CirclesVocabulary Swat GameVocabulary “I Have – Who

Has?”

Summing Up Building Vocabulary

Vocabulary is important because• readers use their oral vocabulary to make

sense of the words they see in print. • readers must know what most of the words

mean before they can understand what they are reading.

Vocabulary can be developed• indirectly, when students engage daily in oral

language, listen to adults read to them, and read extensively on their own.

• directly, when students are explicitly taught both individual words and word-learning strategies.

Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read, 2001

Bibliography Beck, Isabel. & McKeown, Margaret G. (2002). Bringing words to

life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York: Guilford Press.

Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (2003, Spring). The early catastrophe: The 30 million word gap by age 3. Ameridcan Educator, 27 (1), 4-9.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. (2002). Vocabulary. Retreived April 25, 2010 from http://www.merriam-webster.com

Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read, 2001

Shefelbine, John. Developmental Studies Center. CA Reading/ELA Framework.

Texas Reading Initiative. (2000). Promoting vocabulary development: Components of effective vocabulary instruction. Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency.

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